CITY BOY GEEKINESS

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It's October and you know what that means: Horror movies! I love scary movies. In fact, this blog is filled with countless posts about horror movie reviews and lists. Slasher movies are my favourite from the genre. Even though it can be a little generic and cheesy, watching the Final Girl try to survive always pulls me into the story. This latest movie review is no exception. The film I will be reviewing today is the time-jumping slasher flick: Happy Death Day.

The Plot: University student "Tree" (played by Jessica Rothe) wakes up after a hard night of partying and lives her full day on campus, which just so happens to be her birthday. The problem, however, is that she's murdered by a mysterious masked individual. Instead of dying, she is forced to repeat the same day again and again to stop her death from happening.

The Results: 3/5!

Happy Death Day is exactly what it looks to be: A cheeky horror film inspired by the film, Groundhog Day. Beyond the rewind twist, this was a standard slasher flick with a killer going after the same one person. You're not going to get much originality from that. However, Tree was a fun and engaging lead character; I liked rooting for her to solve the murder and her interactions with all of the other supporting characters. She really carried the film and brought life to the adventure. Happy Death Day is a movie that won't change the horror genre, but it is one that you should check out and add to your slasher rotation. It's fun, cheeky, and adds a good bit of humour to the horror tone.

Period pieces, and especially films about war, are not my typical movie choices when heading to theatres. Give me horror movies, superhero flicks, and any endless array of sci-fi/fantasy/action/teen drama blockbusters to fill my time - you can never go wrong. So, it's surprising to see that I agreed to check out the biggest war movie of the summer this week. My hesitations were for naught. The movie I will be reviewing today is the WWII war drama: Dunkirk.

The Plot: Set through three interconnected stories at the Battle of Dunkirk, Dunkirk follows the devastating series of events as soldiers try to make their escape from the deadly battle.

The Results:4/5!

Dunkirk is a visually beautiful war film. Not much is needed with words to show the extent of how terrifying and deadly the battle is for these soldiers. Starting from the beginning of the film to the end, viewers will be hooked as you follow the journey of these interconnected characters. I preferred the story of the foot soldiers and their many attempts to escape off the beach.

Whereas the film was beautifully edited and captured, I think it lacked in the plot direction. Dunkirk brings viewers right into the war and the early stages of the main character's arrival at the beach. However, it took a long time to realize what was going on, what these characters were trying to do and how it was all connected. There was no main overall plot except to escape and fight the enemy; it was pretty bare bones. If you like war films and a thrilling introduction to this period in history, you should check out Dunkirk. There's no doubt it will do well at this year's Academy Awards.

Bring on the superhero movies. I would watch them all day, every day if I could. Well, it depends on the superhero. This might surprise a lot of you to hear, but I haven’t watched every crime-fighting flick. The Hulk, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and the Iron Man films are some I’ve missed. I won’t be returning my Geek Card just yet – there’s still plenty of time to get this done. (Though, the Iron Man films are still near the bottom of my list. #SorryNotSorry)

Most recently, one of DC’s most notable superheroes has hit the big screen with their own solo adventure. We saw her cameo in Batman vs. Superman – and it was EVERYTHING! The movie I will be reviewing today is the action-packed time period piece: Wonder Woman.

The Plot:Diana (Gal Gadot) is an Amazonian trained to fight an unknown ensuing battle of the Gods. After a U.S. agent washes ashore on the island, she takes on the role of Wonder Woman and enters the battle of World War II to stop a potential apocalyptic destruction.

The Results: 5/5!

Wonder Woman is incredible! I don’t give out perfect scores often, but Wonder Woman earns it (and even more). Gal Gadot shines in her leading role and adds plenty of heart/depth to the character. The writing isn’t cheesy, the special effects and fight scenes are perfectly designed, and the supporting cast each have their own personality. Wonder Woman is the DC action movie we’ve needed in a long time – more films need to be created like this. You need to see it. We need another sequel. Let’s make it happen.

I grew up watching Power Rangers. I don't just mean Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...I watched A LOT of this show. Power Rangers meant a lot to me as a child since it showed me adventure, action and the chance to do good as a teenager. Let's just say I was hooked for many years. A big screen movie has already been created about five fighting teenagers, but that was a long time ago in the 90s. This time, a reboot was created to get new people invested in the series and for others (like me!), to relive the nostalgia. The movie I will be reviewing today is the teen action adventure: Power Rangers.The Plot: Nestled in the quiet town of Angel Grove, five teenagers stumble upon magical glowing rocks that grant them superhero powers. Unbeknownst to them, the rocks have chosen them to become the Power Rangers, a group of evil-fighting heroes. When the villainous Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks) plans to steal the Earth's life force, the team suits up to stop her.The Results: 3.5/5!Power Rangers is a guilty pleasure action movie. There are plenty of fighting scenes, teen drama and build-up included it that leads to the climactic battle. I liked the performances of the main five teenagers who make up the new team; we learned a lot about them to get their individual personalities and why we should care about them. Elizabeth Banks and Bryan Cranston also did a great job as Rita and Zordon, respectively.

The tone, on the other hand, does come across as too cheesy and teen angsty at times; the same can also be said for the special effects. It fits the Powers Rangers TV show feel, but for those new to the series, it may look weird. However, Power Rangers (the movie) is an addictive popcorn flick. The movie provides some genuine fun and a good start for a potential movie franchise. Though, some major tweaks will be needed to keep this series fresh and mature.

Can you believe it's been a year already? I have posted about Tuesday Tunes in a really long time. I've kept this series on hold to give it some breathing room and a chance to focus on other writing. There are other geeky topics I usually write about more on this blog, like TV and gaming for instance. However, I've been missing this series. I do love music too, after all.

As a little refresher to the series, Tuesday Tunes is a way to showcase three videos I find online that have a focus on music. It could be a TV show, a movie, music videos or even a parody. Really! It could be anything as long as there is music featured somehow. This time, I'm going to focus on Ariana Grande.

Here are the three videos I've chosen today:

1. Ariana Grande imitates celebrities on Saturday Night Live

2. "Into You"

3. "Everyday"

Is this the best month ever?! I think it might be. The CW has recently announced two renewals for their current midseason shows. Riverdale, a dark interpretation based on the Archie Comics, and The 100, based on the novel of the same name, are coming back for another season.

This is incredible news! Not just because I am a fan (I currently cover Riverdale on TV Fanatic - check it out), but also because these are great shows. With these renewals, Riverdale will be back for a second season while The 100 will get a fifth season.

Riverdale and The 100 join a long list of other shows already renewed by The CW. However, iZombie, The Originals, Frequency and No Tomorrow are currently left up in the air. If I was a betting man and had to make a few guesses, I think it's going to come down between iZombie and The Originals. No Tomorrow and Frequency didn't have the same media attention as the other shows on the network. The other two are current staples on the network and have already produced plenty of episodes for syndication/Netflix/Hulu.

As much as I love both iZombie and The Originals, I think The Originals may edge out the former for a chance at renewal. I recently did a binge-watch of iZombie and it seems like it's gearing up for a final storyline with the zombie war. The Originals is similar to The Vampire Diaries, as in they could find a reason to keep it going for a while. On the other hand, it may be cheaper to produce iZombie instead. We're talking about The CW here, nobody knows what will happen until it's decided.

Are you excited about this latest round of renewal news? Share your thoughts below.

It's that time of year again! Prepare yourselves for a bit of frustration and patience: I'm updating the layout of the website. (I can hear your groans now.)

The current design of the blog has served its purpose, but I've reached the point where I need a bit of change. Something with colour, a redesigned (and more in-tuned) SEO, and updated features. Surprisingly, I've kept the current layout around for longer than I expected. Though, it could be due to being incredibly busy with my freelance writing the last year.

Don't get me wrong, I do like this blog layout! This could be the layout that's been used the longest out of the last three/four design changes. However, I need something a bit easier to use, especially design wise.

Stay tuned for changes to come. I don't know when I will be starting the update; I still need to search for a new layout. If you have any suggestions, flip your recommendations my way.

I've never been the biggest fan of the Wolverine movies. After the destruction of the first movie's timeline and the strange plot of the second movie, I didn't have high expectations for the third and final film in the series. In fact, I wasn't originally going to watch it. If it had not been out of sheer curiosity, who knows what would have happened. Though, based on my mini movie review today, I'm glad that I did. The movie I will be reviewing today is the last installment in the mutant superhero trilogy: Logan.

The Plot: Set in the near future, Logan (played by Hugh Jackman) is retired, a drunk, and works as a limo driver to make a living. After responding to a ride order, he encounters a mysterious woman with a small child, named Laura (played by Dafne Keen), who are being hunted by a military group. Logan teams up with familiar friends and new to protect Laura.

The Results: 5/5!

Logan is a dark and gritty action-filled thrill ride that will keep you hooked until the very end. The final part of the Wolverine trilogy makes up for the two lackluster films which proceeded it. Hugh Jackman brings emotional heart to this tired character we've seen for over a decade now, and this may be the first time an X-Men movie has reached a perfect mix of thoughtful drama and action. Dafne Keen does an amazing job of working alongside Jackman, especially with the few words she utters throughout the movie. The action is stunning, the pace is thought out, and the ending is emotionally gripping (there may have been some tears). However, if you're not one for bloody superhero fights and a grittier side to these X-Men characters, you may not initially enjoy the flick.

I would recommend to check out Logan. It's the last film in the trilogy and the last one featuring some of the iconic actors (this is Patrick Stewart's and Hugh Jackman's last X-Men role). This a fun popcorn flick to see in theatres.

Good news for our heroes and villains: You'll live to see another day! It's a super-sized renewal surprise for some of our favourite geeky shows at The CW.

Ahead of the Television Critics Association, the network handed out renewals to seven of their fall shows. Among the TV series getting the renewals is breakout hit The Flash, which will see a fourth season, and the recent CBS port Sugergirl that will return for a third season. Included in the list is Arrow (Season 6), Jane The Virgin (Season 4), Supernatural (Season 13), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (Season 3), and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Season 3).

I'm excited for this news! As many of you who have been following this blog for awhile (or follow me on social media) know, I love shows from The CW. There is always a show I'm following or have sitting on my binge-watch list. Some of the shows that were announced are ones I'm currently following now, like Jane The Virgin and The Flash to name a few. But even with the good news, there's still some pressure.

Nothing has been revealed yet about The CW's other shows: The Originals, The 100 and iZombie, as well as freshman shows Frequency, No Tomorrow and the yet to air Riverdale. The Vampire Diaries and Reign were already cancelled and will see their proper series finales later this year.

Are you excited for these renewals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

(Photos courtesy of CBS)

YES!!! The horror fan in me is jumping at this latest TV news. FX has announced they have renewed horror-anthology series American Horror Story for another two seasons: Season Eight and Season Nine. This renewal is well in advance of the seventh season later this year.

The series, which has tackled themes like witchcraft, a haunted asylum and now reality TV, is a successful show for the cable network. AHS continues to snag awards and, if I do say so, the series has been given new life with the refreshing take of American Horror Story: Roanoke. There's no word yet on which cast members will return to the show, but so far Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are confirmed.

This extended renewal means that American Horror Story will continue into 2019. There is no indication if the show will end at that date.

In other news, Showtime has renewed The Affair for a fourth season. I haven't started watching this series, but I've heard good things about it - I just have too much on my binge-watching plate to start this one yet.

With all the good news, there does need to be some cancellation updates. Good Girls Revolt from Amazon is officially done. No other network is picking it up; this one is dead.

Are you excited for more horror in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments below.